Dear Our Partners:

At the 35th Board of Directors held on March 28, 2024, the proposal for revising the Fisheries Standard Management (FMS) Ver. 2.0 was approved. Based on the above, we would like to inform you of the overview as follows:

[Background]

Since the standard was established in 2018, related documents, such as the FMS Guidelines for Auditors – Indicators of Conformity, have been modified, but the standard document itself has not been revised. The Operational Management Regulation (OMR) stipulates that the standards are to be reviewed once every five years. Following this, at the 14th Fisheries Standard Setting Committee (FSSC) meeting on February 6, 2024, the SFFC members recognized several issues to be considered.

[Target Standard]

MEL Fisheries Standard Management (FMS) Version 2.0

[Points of Standard revision]

The revised FMS will reflect the concept of the reformed Fisheries Act, newly introduced related fisheries policies and regulations, and international trends relevant to fisheries eco-labels. In addition, requirements regarding social responsibility, working environment, and human rights, which have become essential in today’s global world, will be incorporated into the standard requirements. The responses to environmental issues will be considered to reflect, as well. Additionally, duplicate evaluation items within the structure of Principles 1 to Principle 3 will be sorted out.

Under the Standards Setting Committee and the supervision of the Expert Committee, we will develop a revised draft of the standard and prepare for it to come into effect after going through the prescribed procedures, including public consultations and general meeting approval. We will provide information on the progress of standards revision, explanations to stakeholders and certified entities, etc., on our website as appropriate.

Thank you for your continued support of MEL’s activities.

Sincerely,

Secretariats at Marine Eco-Label Japan Council